The present invention relates to postage meter system which employs a postage meter for printing a postage indicia on each posting envelope and, more particularly, to procedures for identifying the location of the postage meter which is used to print an indicia on each posted envelope.
It is a procedure of the Postal Service to maintain funding records for each postage meter within the postal district wherein the postage meter is located. This procedure is one of a number of steps taken by the Postal Service to protect against fraudulent use of postage meters. As part of this procedure, the holder of a postage meter is provided by the manufacturer with the ability to print what is referred to as a "town circle" as part of the postage indicia. Also, as part of the postage indicia, there is printed a meter serial number. With the town circle and the serial number information, the branch post office can verify that source of the mailpiece.
Therefore, if a holder of a postage meter relocates the postage meter to a different post office branch, it is procedurally required that the holder register the relocation of that postage meter and that the meter be modified to reflect its relocation and thereby provide the postal service with a method of tracking the location of the postage meter.